My name is Napha Khothphouthone, 28 years old. I am married and have a cute daughter, she is Nadeer, 1 year and 2 months old.

Our house with seamstress shop adjunct

My family

Now I work at Savannakhet university (SKU) as a lecturer at Faculty of Natural Science. According to my background that I graduated double diplomas: English language and Animal husbandry and health care, I teach English for Bio and Vertebrate. I also run an animal clinic for the neighbouring villagers. I am a participant in the Erasmus+ mobility programme between between Karlsruhe University of Education and Savannakhet University. For the research project, I’m interested in diversity some of amphibian.

Everyday before and after work, I usually go to my house’s garden, we grow many kind of trees and vegetables such as mango, cassava, coconut, chili peppers, celery, eggplant, spring onions tomato, bamboo and other kind of diary life vegetable.

Bamboo

Jackfruit

Mango tree

Papaya

Of course the all plants in the garden are organic I also raise some of animal like fish, frog, chicken and cricket.

Pond (fish still very small)

Crickets

Chickens

It seems like an agriculture farm but it is very small, what we grow and raise just only for family not for sale so we don’t need to buy any vegetable in the market.1

Studying and living abroad is my biggest dream, and it seems my dream comes true when I was interviewed in September 2018 and invited to be one of the exchange students in the Erasmus mobility programme between Karlsruhe University of Education and Savannakhet University. My lucks lead me to meet Dr. Isabel Martin who gave me the great opportunity and also Mr David Schrep our first English tandem-teacher from PH Karlsruhe, who helped us prepare. I strongly believe that 90% of luck is given to us by other people. So I will spend my 6 months time in Germany to learn language especially English skill, culture, biology and the new experiences in new places and with new people. I really want to be a part of the community there. I love to share my lifestyle and experience in Laos with the new friends who interested in.

In addition, football is my favorite sport, I usually watch the match on TV, so I hope I can watch the real match in Allianz Arena (FC Bayern Munich) soon and join the stadium tour. I can’t wait to go to “Germany the land of ideas” and will arrive early in March in Karlsruhe.

See you soon!

Text & photos by N. Khothphouthone

Note

1 The salary of teachers here begin at around 1,600,000 kip (Lao currency, ca. 160 dollars) per month, the money will go up depends on how long we work and degree of education. Of course we have different salary here.